Ron Silk earns 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title, Ryan Preece scores second Martinsville victory

MARTINSVILLE, Virginia — Ron Silk’s championship campaign in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour almost came to an end multiple times during Thursday’s Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

Despite narrowly avoiding several multi-car accidents and being shuffled through the field due to different pit strategies, Silk managed to keep his No. 16 Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes Modified clean and finished in sixth place.

RELATED: Complete results from the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200

While it may not have been his most impressive performance of 2023, it was enough for Silk to secure the 2023 title, his first in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since 2011.

“It’s awesome,” Silk said. “A lot of effort goes into [the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour] and it’s been a long season. It feels really rewarding to finally win another one.”

Silk had an outstanding year on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, deserving of a second championship.

After going the entire 2022 season without a victory, Silk kicked off 2023 with an exciting win, holding off Justin Bonsignore at New Smyrna Speedway.

Little did they know, the battle between Silk and Bonsignore would set the tone for the rest of the year.

Throughout the remaining 17 races, these two heavyweights exchanged blows both on and off the track. Each race saw one of them performing well, followed by an outstanding performance from the other. The competition was fierce, and neither side gave the other any room to breathe.

By the time they arrived at Martinsville for the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200, both Silk and Bonsignore had five victories each, along with a similar number of top 5 finishes and over 625 laps led. Their performances were remarkable and made for an exciting title fight.

RELATED: Ron Silk’s championship season in photos

A late restart mishap by Bonsignore in the previous race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park gave Silk a 13-point lead going into the season finale. All Silk needed to do was finish eighth or better in the race, regardless of Bonsignore’s performance.

Bonsignore did manage to win the final battle, finishing in second place. However, luck was on Silk’s side as he did everything he could to secure the finish he needed after several close calls.

“It was kind of weird racing tonight,” Silk said. “Knowing the scenario, I tried to keep myself in a good position throughout the night. We got turned around once on the backstretch, but luckily, we didn’t hit anything.”

Any hopes of Silk and Bonsignore grabbing one last victory to close out 2023 were dashed by Ryan Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion. Preece dominated in his season debut, driving his own No. 40 car.

Thursday’s triumph was an emotional one for Preece, who dedicated the win to his late car owner Eddie Partridge. Partridge had guided Preece to 14 victories on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour before his sudden passing over two years ago.

“The last time I won on [the NASCAR Whelen Modified] Tour was at Richmond [in 2021], and that was the day I lost one of my best friends [Eddie Partridge],” Preece said. “This is the same car that we bought from [Partridge’s] wife, so [tonight] really hit me.”

Preece also expressed his relief in finally winning a traditional victory at Martinsville. Although he had previously won at the track in 2008, that milestone came after Burt Myers was disqualified, leaving Preece feeling empty. This time, Preece knew the victory didn’t come easy, especially with the strong competition from Silk and Bonsignore.

While Preece celebrated his 26th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory, Silk felt a mix of relief and elation after his best season statistically. His performance also earned Haydt Yannone Racing the owner’s title in just their second year as a team.

RELATED: Ron Silk’s career Whelen Modified Tour stats

Silk attributed his long wait for a second championship to the difficulty of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour every season. Any mistake, big or small, kept Bonsignore in the race for the title. Silk acknowledged the effort of everyone at Haydt Yannone Racing for persevering and ultimately celebrating the title at Martinsville.

“The first thing you need [to win a title] is to have fast cars and a good team behind you,” Silk said. “I had that all year, but you also need quite a bit of luck on your side. It doesn’t take many missteps to find yourself too far behind.”

Following Preece and Bonsignore in the race were Patrick Emerling in third place, with Matt Hirschman and Tyler Rypkema rounding out the top five. J.B. Fortin finished in seventh place, and Max McLaughlin, Andrew Krause, and Bobby Labonte completed the top 10.

Silk and the rest of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitors now face a brief winter before regrouping for the 2024 season, which kicks off at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 10.

A rebroadcast of the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 200 will take place on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. ET on CNBC.